Infected
by Kiskashi
Summary: Apocalyptic AU. No hope, no salvation, but still... "You are free." Between the brutal militia, a life threatening plague and the ruthless forces manipulating everything from behind the scenes life is anything but free. Two groups of survivors set out to reverse the corruption but just how far will they go to reclaim the city and their freedom? Surely there are consequences...
1. Chapter 1- Let the Nightmare Begin

**AN: Ok, a new story that I had muse for a while ago but never actually wrote ^^; I wanted to clarify some things before you begin (Thank you so much for reading by the way) This story revolves around two different storylines (I-G and K-A) that happen consecutively and each one is considered as a "main character group"  
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**So that you don't get confused as to which storyline the chapter is for I will put it in at the top of each chapter, and once again thank you for taking the time to read this! Oh, and don't be afraid to tell me if something is off, In which case I'm sorry I'll fix it up ASAP  
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**Chapter 1 - Let the Nightmare Begin**

**Character Storyline:** Ichigo Kurosaki (I-G)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or it's characters, all characters are intellectual property of Tite Kubo

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The minute hands moved slowly as seconds agonizingly ticked past for the irritated red-haired teen. His deep brown eyes were unmoving from the clock as the surrounding noise faded to a droning hum while his mind cycled through tired thoughts. Today had been the worst day ever, the exams, the assignments. School had become a mass of paperwork and study lately as it was end of term, he just couldn't wait for today to end.

After the abysmally long history class the bell finally rang. He let slip a sigh of relief before slinging his bag over his shoulder and trudging out into the hall, mindlessly avoiding the afternoon rush of people. He wasn't the only one desperate to leave. "Hey Ichigo!" He broke out of his blank thoughts as he heard his name, turning to see a tall, brown-haired teen running towards him before he instinctively held his arm out making harsh contact with the overly happy teen's stomach and making him crumple to the ground. "Ah, I should expect that by now..." He mumbled into the floor as another person approached. This one was slim with jet black hair "I told you to wait up, Keigo." He mumbled as he addressed the fallen brunette, his eyes barely leaving the screen of his phone except to look up at Ichigo before removing his earphones and stuffing them into his pocket. "Hey Ichigo, how's it going?" He smiled as he finished though it seemed all too forced. "Oh hey Mizuiro...Hey Keigo." Ichigo replied with a dull tone as he helped the over-reactive brunette up from his fixation on the ground.

Mizuiro glanced towards them, an inquisitive expression was plastered across his face as he didn't receive an answer to his question. He casually walked over to the two who were now brushing themselves off. "What's with the reply, Ichigo? Something wrong?" Ichigo cringed inwardly at the question, it was the same one he'd been barraged with for the past week. He was completely over it by now, only answering with the same fake reply. "No, I'm fine..." He paused in brief thought deciding not to worry them, they had exactly the same problems...Well that's what they believed anyway. "It's just, all this work is really getting to me I guess." He finished, clumsily brushing off the topic.

Failure. Both Keigo and Mizuiro shot worried glances at each other. He always had been a terrible liar, people around him could always tell when something wasn't right, if that was good or bad he didn't care. Right now it was just repetitive. The three of them glanced around at the rapidly emptying hall "We should get going then..." Ichigo sighed as they moved out into the courtyard.

After waving each other off and saying their goodbyes Ichigo glanced to the sky, shielding his eyes from the harsh light with a trembling hand. The clouds were strange, they looked like messy strokes of paint smeared across a bright blue canvas with only slight flickers and gaps in them allowing the sunlight to pour through in golden rays. He exhaled slowly, the sickening feeling rising slowly within him. Something didn't feel right, in fact it felt like the polar opposite of "right".

He traveled the near empty streets, only the wavering figure of his shadow walking before him. Slight patches of humanity swarmed around houses, their chatter accompanied by the roar of distant engines as cars traveled by, filling the chilled air with grey fumes that quickly carried off in the wind along with stray dead leaves from the sidewalk. He eventually arrived before his home labeled clearly with the name "Kurosaki clinic".

He opened the door slowly, barely dragging himself inside. "I'm home!" He called absently into the house before he was greeted by his younger sister. "Welcome home Ichi." Yuzu smiled as she peered around the corner, she was already busily cooking dinner, the pleasant scent had quickly began filling the room. "Where's Karin?" He lazily questioned while dropping his bag to the floor in a rough movement of exhaustion. "Oh yeah, Dad wanted me to tell you that he and Karin went to go pick up a few things, they'll be back later." She called from the other room, the small clinks of tableware disrupting her sentence.

He let slip a noise akin to a grunt and sigh rolled into one before leisurely walking upstairs. The impending thoughts of his exam tomorrow lingering in his mind. He pulled out a few maths books and dropped them on the desk making a dull thud as they hit the thick wood. He glared at them, studying was the last thing he wanted to do. Sighing he pulled out his earphones and placed them in his ears before turning up a fast beat rock song and picking up his pen, opening the first of many books he had to revise.

Almost half an hour later his book was covered in illegible numbers and equations. He'd been rushing to finish, now he just sat there absent-mindedly tapping his pen to the rhythm of the song playing before deciding to get a drink. He pulled back in the chair, reversing it so he could stand and once again travel downstairs. The sound of the TV was filling the kitchen, he glanced up to see brief flashes of the report, some guy was getting attacked. _Just another stupid fight._ He thought as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He took a quick sip before closing the fridge and heading back to his room. He stopped part way out of the kitchen, quickly glancing back to the TV seeing an ambulance and flashing lights, the camera angle thrown off as if it were being filmed by an amateur cameraman, he couldn't stop shaking by the looks of it. _Well, I guess it's cold outside._ The red-head thought before dismissing the topic "There's never anything that's interesting on the news..." He mumbled in a disgruntled tone before trudging back up to his room.

He was part way through another book before he heard a megaphone screech, making his ears ring painfully. "Please stay calm, this is an evacuation procedure, come outside quickly. I repeat this is an evacuation." His gaze focused on the movement outside, noticing that the street was flooded with people. His attention shifted to the ones covered head to toe in black hazmat suits accompanied by numerous heavily armed cars. Helicopters were roaring overhead and being motioned to land at the end of the street. "What the..?" He rasped as he stood up, dropping his pen in shock when he heard the downstairs door being forced open with a sonorous crash. His reflexes snapped lightning quick, he ran downstairs to meet a tall muscular man standing over him. "Are you deaf?! Get out of here!" The man yelled over the chaotic noise. Ichigo pushed past as he saw Yuzu being guided out to the rest of the family, both Isshin and Karin were standing outside, frozen in place while desperately trying to take in the situation.

Ichigo forced his way over to them, annoyance and anger building within as people continuously bashed into him. He was frantically trying to reach his family through the sea of people, each one of them wearing an expression of fear or confusion, their skin cold and covered in sweat making his frown deepen in disgust. "Dad, Karin, Yuzu!" He yelled over the noise, his calls remaining unheard over the ear-splitting surroundings. He finally made it to them before the muscular man caught up with him, his spiked black hair waving in the harsh wind, flinging what looked like bells attached to the ends of the dark spikes back and forth. "Hey! You!" He called at Ichigo before he was once again lost in the moving masses. Ichigo and his family were quickly being swept to one of the makeshift helicopter landing pads and before he knew it people were being brought in, his own family included. After the piling ceased only he and a little girl were left with only one space vacant in the helicopter.

The girl was crying, tears were streaming down her face as her parents were calling out to her. Ichigo turned to the nearby guard, he wasn't going to split up that family. "Hey, do all these evacuation helicopters go to the same place?" He inquired while tapping the nearby officer on the shoulder. "What do ya want?" The man questioned irritably as he turned, revealing deep blue eyes with strange markings under the edges, the blue of his sharp glare matching the messy hair only barely contained by his headgear.

"I was asking if..." He was cut off by the angry-looking guard, a frown constantly plastered across his face depicting he'd rather be anywhere but among all this. "Not enough space?" He questioned in a disgruntled tone. "Doesn't matter they all head to similar areas anyway, Come on." He growled impatiently answering the red-head's questions all at once while dragging him to another nearby helicopter. "Don't worry, I'll meet up with you later!" He yelled back to the family he was leaving, a deep pang of fear rose within him making his chest tighten painfully. N_o, I will see them again._ He reassured himself before following the blue-haired guard.

"Ah, so you finally hauled your ass back here, Grimmjow." The man from before laughed, he was even more intimidating close up. "Hey, you're that kid. What gave you the idea to run from me?" The dark-haired man leaned in, making it obvious he'd been through a lot of fights and tough times. A scar ran down across his brow before meeting with an eye-patch and continuing under it. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably before him, this was not the kind of guy you want to mess with... "Hey, Kenpachi, give the kid a break he just got separated from his family." Grimmjow called out while throwing some supply bags into the helicopter. Kenpachi eyed him carefully, everything about him screamed his affection for fights and by the looks of it, he hadn't lost many. "Yeah, whatever." He replied before climbing into the helicopter and motioning for Ichigo to follow. "Come on, unless you got the guts to stay here long enough to see why we're evacuating."

Ichigo shot a concerned glance to the other helicopter taking off, he hoped they'd be safe. His attention was brought back to the situation before him, negative thoughts weren't going to help now. He changed his focus to asking questions as he was grabbed by the blue-haired officer and pulled into the helicopter before it quickly started up, lifting them off the ground in less than a minute. He glanced up to Kenpachi, it looked like he was the one in charge around here. Now he just needed some answers.


	2. Chapter 2 - Up in Flames

**AN: Uploaded close to chapter 1 as it was initially meant to be one chapter total but I changed it and made it two ^^; Anyway, enjoy! (hopefully)**

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**Chapter 2 - Up in Flames**

**Character Storyline -** Ichigo Kurosaki (I-G)

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Ichigo glanced out the side of the helicopter, his mind racing to make sense of the situation, this had all started so fast. Exams were once his biggest problem...he severely doubted that now. Things had escalated rapidly. An evacuation? People swept with panic everywhere he turned? He was beginning to get frustrated with the lack of information, people always had a tendency to never tell him anything unless he had to force it out of them. He continued surveying the city, it was normally breath-taking and beautiful when seen from the sky. What he saw was not even close to that anymore.

Smoke billowed from buildings, blazes of flames ran rampant in the streets quickly engulfing anything in their path. People were running frantically, trying desperately to find some refuge. Even from this distance he could hear the blood chilling screams, each a cry of panic or despair that sent frigid chills down his spine as his thoughts turned to his friends he'd seen earlier. Mizuiro, Keigo, Chad, Uryu...Tatsuki and Orihime hadn't even shown up today. He held back the thoughts decaying his resolve, he grasped the shards of hope he had and reassured himself once again. "They'll be ok..." He murmured under his breath.

He flinched as he heard a gunshot, first only one then many followed in a rhythmic pattern. He quickly glanced down to the streets again seeing the people in black suits firing on the mass of people, only enraging the screams. "What they hell are they doing?!" He cried out as he watched in shock, they were shooting innocent people, so many of them falling to the ground in seconds. It had only taken seconds to take all those lives and that was what made Ichigo burn with anger, the blood boiling in his veins as he observed the sickening scene. "Why aren't you answering me!? I'm sick of all the secrets, just what the hell is going on!?" He yelled at the passengers in the helicopter, he wasn't asking for answers anymore he was demanding them.

Kenpachi completely ignored him, brushing off the questions as if they were dust before the blue haired officer stepped in and broke the suffocating tension that hung the air. "Look it ain't as simple as 'oh god, they're shooting people' anymore," He mimicked in a mocking tone as his eyes narrowed at the situation below before flashing back to the impatient red-head. "They're not people, well not anymore that is." Ichigo stared at him, his face completely expressionless as he tried to take in the words. "They're not people, what does that even mean?" He questioned as he turned away, unable to continue watching the massacre below, a sickening feeling making him feel light-headed.

"They're infected." Kenpachi grunted as he eyed the teen. He was clearly not in a cheerful mood, his glare icy and distant. Ichigo flinched as the pilot coughed harshly, seemingly clearing his throat before the conversation continued. "It's a virus, spread by contact of blood or saliva...anything with their DNA that can get into your blood really. Once infected a person has a span of anywhere between four and nine hours before they start showing lethal symptoms, becoming aggressive and contagious." Grimmjow quickly explained after observing that his captain wanted nothing to do with it. "So, like zombies?" Ichigo questioned before receiving a harsh glare. "If that's how ya' want to see it."

"How did this even start? Does anyone know yet?" Ichigo inquired again, now he'd started getting answers he was hoping it wouldn't stop. "No, no-one knows why this began. All we know is we've got to evac as many people as we can now, and figure things out later. Saving lives while we can is all we can do right now." Grimmjow turned away, a grim tone to his voice as it trailed off, becoming lost in the roar of the helicopter blades. More raspy coughs came from the pilot, this time he was heaving for breaths almost as if he were asphyxiated.

Blood splattered across the window as he gasped for air, the more seconds that ticked past the more blood he shed as the coughing worsened. "Shit! He's infected!" Kenpachi yelled as the helicopter lost all direction and began diving towards the city. "Grimmjow, get the kid down!" He cried over the sirens of the helicopter that were predicting the impending crash, the bells in his hair were swaying wildly in the rush of wind that ripped through. The blades were damaged as they contacted one of the nearby skyscrapers, a shrill metal cry erupting from the side of the hull.

Ichigo and Grimmjow were violently thrown to the back with the cargo that near broke all of the red-head's ribs as it impacted him, beating all the air from his lungs in the process. He rasped for breath as Kenpachi tried to steer, fighting to gain control again but failing miserably due to the broken blades and damaged hull. "Damn it! I can't steer this thing!" He yelled back at them while continuing the futile attempts. "Get down!" Grimmjow cried out as the spiraling ground drew closer and closer, all three of them braced for the inevitable impact.

Ichigo shut his eyes tightly, panic shutting off the agonizing pain in his side. The final moments lasted an eternity as adrenaline coursed through his veins, the darkness consuming as he heard Kenpachi cry out something inaudible. Suddenly a jet of dense, heavy liquid hit him, rapidly throwing him sideways and out of the torn hull while forcing shards of metal to dig deeply into his arm making him lose the remaining air he had, lost in a burst of bubbles and a muffled cry.

He felt weightless, his hair wavering wildly in the water as he descended. Watching the aircraft submerge above him as golden light provided a dark silhouette of the wreck. He began feeling the gripping cold pierce through his body as he plunged further into the icy depths, continuing to sink into the abyss below. He felt his vision blurring as his lungs burned, begging for the oxygen he couldn't grasp. He slowly raised his hand, staying there paralyzed in pain, longing for the surface.

His eyelids felt heavy like lead as the world around him became lost in the blur of water and darkness, the only thing he could make out was the debris from the crash, falling to the same fate as him. Colour seemed to drain from the world before he fought to focus one last time, only able to just make out a shadowed figure with it's arms reached out to him. It was coming.

_Is this it? ...Am I going to die here?_ Were the last thoughts in his mind as the darkness consumed him. Plunging him into the unbearable silence as the remains rained down around him.


	3. Chapter 3 - Obscurity

**AN: First character storyline change this chapter, and thank you so much to the followers and to those who favourited this story!**

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**Chapter 3 - Obscurity**

**Character Storyline - Kisuke Urahara (K-A**)

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Small clicks from fingers rapidly typing in codes broke the creeping silence in the lab. Sharp, determined grey eyes glinted in the dull light from the surrounding monitors. It was time to shut them down, he knew it would come to this ever since that day when he'd encountered the true plans of the "company".

- 1 week earlier-

It was a crisp autumn morning, the leaves had drained of their vibrant green and been replaced with a dull orange. Ready for the cold, impending end that was brought with the beginning of winter. The blonde grasped a fragile maple leaf between his fingers, watching it crumble under the most gentle touch into shards of what it once was. Today was the day that he would apply to that company. Sure he'd heard rumours of their shady dealings, plus the fact that no-one had ever seen the 'big boss' kind of bothered him, but it was time to find out just what they were hiding. Shrugging it off he placed on a smile, laced with false pretense. He was here for his own reasons, but applying as a medical scientist was the perfect alibi.

He slid through the rotating doors, smiling pleasantly and greeting each person with an appropriate "good morning." before finally stopping at the front desk. "Hi, I'm here about the position you're offering." The attendant had smooth dark purple hair with a black tint that was pulled back in a neat braid with thin bangs resting at either side of her face. "Good morning sir, your name?" She asked, her aqua-green eyes watched him almost lifelessly, waiting for his answer. "Urahara Kisuke." He replied "I'm applying for the-..." He was unable to finish the sentence before a strange man entered the room. "Nemu, what's keeping that-" He paused mid rant and stared at the blonde, his expression already conveying his disgust. "You're the new employee to my lab?" He inquired, his eyes coldly analysing every move the blonde made.

"Yeah...that's me." Kisuke replied while looking around the sparse room, his fake smile ever present on his face. _Wow, this guy's strange. _He thought as he watched the man come closer. His opinion only becoming more clarified as the man leaned in close to his face "You may address me as Kurotsuchi, I am the head of the science division here." Kurotsuchi said as his eyes narrowed at the blonde before he walked away._ No sense of personal space either...and what's with the face paint?_ Kisuke thought as he stood there staring at the strange application of the black and white make-up across the head scientist's face. A single stripe of white was drawn along and up the bridge of his nose, then another two half way up either side of his face and the rest was completely black.

"What are you staring at?" He inquired, making Kisuke flinch as he snapped out of his daze. "Uh," It probably wasn't wise to inquire about that right now "Nothing. Maybe you could show me around?" He smiled as he rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose I should show you the lab. Do not touch anything... or you'll be the next specimen that I'll have the pleasure of taking apart." He turned away with an insanely creepy smile drawing slowly across his face. _That was close. It's best to make a good first impression. That might be hard with this guy, it seems like he hates me already._ The blonde thought as he nonchalantly brushed off the last part of the sentence.

-  
Time had traveled quickly, it was his third day already and everything seemed normal so far. Except for the psychotic head scientist who always seemed a little too creepy for anyone's comfort. The lab looked fine, the people seemed pretty genuine and the tasks he were assigned were rather basic, nothing beyond what was expected. The place felt too well run, too perfect to not be hiding something. He had to trust his instinct, and it didn't help that every time he passed a certain hallway near the basement floor he got cold chills, something was definitely not right.

"Urahara. I need you to stay back later tonight to help me with some follow-ups." Kurotsuchi announced while slipping around the corner. This guy was not the kind of person that he wanted to be alone with...especially at night. Then again if he didn't accept the request, he was sure Kurotsuchi would make his day-to-day life a living hell. "Sure thing, Kurotsuchi-san." He replied while stacking away some papers.

-  
He breathed a sigh of relief as he finished the last of his assigned work before looking at the time "It's eleven already?!" He audibly questioned while staring blankly at the clock. He'd been working on this mountain of paperwork since six. "Kurotsuchi-san, I've finished up here! Can I go home now?" He asked in a defeated tone, his face was lined with exhaustion, dark purple marks had silently crept under his tired, shadowed eyes.

"Kurotsuchi-san?" The blonde called again. No reply. Kisuke flinched as he heard a blood chilling scream, his heart pounded as if it were going to break free from his chest. "What the-" His words were spoken under his breath. This place wasn't so normal after all. He began quickly but silently running towards the source of the cries. _Please don't be that room..._ He begged in his mind, that area of the building never failed to make his skin erupt in goosebumps. His chest tightened as he stopped before the room, concealing himself in the shadows. _Of course it's this room._

He listened for any slight noise before creeping towards the door, a slight purple light emanated from within, barely illuminating the hallway from the small crack where the door was open. He slowly stepped closer, carefully peering through the gap. He could only just make out three figures, one was the attendant from earlier, Nemu. The other two were shrouded by shadows before one of them stepped closer to the subject. "Kurotsuchi-san?" He rasped as he watched the head scientist move closer to the subject, she began pleading, begging for someone to help her. Kisuke's fingers twitched as he reached for the door. Too late. His eyes widened in horror as Kurotsuchi injected her with a strange iridescent purple syringe. Her body suddenly contorted. Violently. Her cries quickly losing their humanity and becoming nightmarish screams before her figure stopped moving, a shiver inducing silence falling upon the room once again. "Well done..." The satisfied praise echoed slowly from the man still submersed in the lingering shadows. "I never expected the virus to progress this quickly."

"That must be him. The head of the company." Kisuke spoke in low tones under his harsh breathing, his chest was constricting further as his throat followed suit. He stepped back slowly, his legs were quickly going numb as the blood froze over in his veins. Stumbling in shock he accidentally knocked his arm against a rusted, dull metal pipe. Glancing momentarily at the pipe he turned away rapidly and ran as fast as he could back up the hallway moments before the door flew open and Nemu peered out, just missing sight of him. He felt like his heart was going to explode, like his legs were going to give out. But he kept going, because he knew being caught now could mean his life after what he'd seen.

"Was there anyone else here?" The mysterious man questioned as he gestured a hand towards the two scientists. "Just my lab hand. But he's busy with paperwork, I made sure of that." Kurotsuchi replied confidently as he packed up his equipment and stared vividly into the dense purple liquid of the other samples that were stacked carefully in a metal case. "What is his name?" The man inquired as he stepped forward. "Urahara Kisuke."

The next morning Kisuke stopped before the doors, coming here was less working and more trying to suppress the horrible, haunting images of that woman. How many others have they done this to? Just who was that man? His mind was buzzing with unsettling questions as he slipped through the rotating doors. He went about working for the next few days before being confronted by a tall dark-haired man, his smile was incredibly wide. His eyes dark and narrow, reflecting a wild, defiant flicker within. A sneer crossed his face as he watched the blonde nervously pass him.

People were giving him darker looks now, there was no way. No way they could have seen him...he wasn't the only one still there that night, was he just the only "unsilenced" one? The atmosphere had suddenly turned arctic in this building now. He knew what he had to do eventually.

He had to do this, he typed the codes in frantically, downloading the last of the crucial data on the virus. It was finally time to drag this company down into a hellish abyss, right where it belonged, to be engulfed in the flames of vengeance and disappear. That was nothing more than just a simple dream, nothing more and he knew it...for now that is. He could easily do this and then slip into the shadows afterwards. He smiled darkly as he pulled out a prepared supply bag, filled with medical supplies and rations. His fingers glided over the keys, pressing this one enter key would contaminate all of the samples of the virus and completely wipe all of the data from all the computers and electronics in this building. A final click of confirmation set the timer to five minutes.

He effortlessly slipped out of the room and down the hall, before long he arrived at the main entrance. He smiled as he watched the seconds tick down before uttering a final goodbye to the company "Sorry, I quit." With his final word the entire circuit board that diverted energy to the building overloaded sending sparks flying and shattering lights. He quickly ran into the darkness of the streets with all the information on the virus. _Maybe I can find a cure for this..._

"NO!" The man ran slender hands through his messy hair as he leaned back in his chair while the back-up generators struggled to activate. "What do you mean it's all gone?!" He screamed, his words unable to contain the rage that was fuming within. "Our research, the virus, everything. That idiot wiped it all from the database." Kurotsuchi replied, his head hung in defeat as he eyed the tall, dark haired man beside the boss, his fingers poised on a handgun attached to his waist.

A sudden, deafening gunshot rang through the room, blood was sprayed across the dark walls as Nemu fell lifelessly to the ground, the assailant only widened his psychotic grin at the sight as he re-holstered his weapon. "Nemu!" Kurotsuchi yelled towards the fallen woman, her blood was quickly pooling across the white tiles while her eyes were left hauntingly open in shock. "You will NOT fail me again. Understand that, Kurotsuchi? Or else next time it will be your life." The boss murmured as he turned to the murderous thug beside him, his grin ever present.

"Nnoitra, I want you to find and kill Urahara Kisuke. Now. Spare no expense and bring me his corpse!" The man yelled in a furious rage. He wasn't used to failure, this much was obvious as his once calm demeanor had finally cracked and revealed glimpses of the demonic being hiding behind it. "He... he really was a fool to think that we didn't have a back-up of all the data." He had his face buried in his hands, his expression mirroring near complete insanity before he let out a laugh infused with every meaning of the word "insane". It echoed menacingly through the halls, as if it were a signal, a warning that the first day of the apocalypse had begun.

Kisuke kept lashing through the streets, avoiding the masses of humanity while fighting to block out the distant screams ringing in his ears. By this stage he wasn't sure if it was reality or just delusion, a repeated nightmare burnt into the darkest reaches of his mind. A shiver chased the length of his spine as the temperature plummeted, light specks of snow were beginning to blanket the city he'd left behind. He took a few minutes to survey the surroundings, by now the ground was rapidly losing the dead, dull green of the grass and being replaced by pure white flakes. Winter had finally arrived.

He glanced around looking for somewhere to shelter for now, the city was far too dangerous after what he'd just done. Time was needed to erase his presence and hopefully begin to ease the hatred he'd sparked. Dull crunches gave way from the snow beneath him, his shoes sunk into the thick layer of soft ice before he spotted something in the distance. _A person? No, that couldn't be right._ He thought as he cautiously drew closer, wary of the dark figure while observing the crimson snow surrounding them.

He leant down carefully beside them, lightly sweeping snow from the side of their face to try and identify them. "Hey, can you hear me?" He questioned. No reply. This person was completely unconscious. Kisuke's fingers were shaking slightly from the freezing snow, at least that's what he tried to believe. Finding a dead body in the middle of the forest was not another problem he wanted to add to his list today.

Attempting to stop the shaking he pulled his coat in closer and pressed his ear to the man's chest, listening carefully for a sign he was alive. A heartbeat. Kisuke pulled back once confirming the man was alive, he glanced to see the man had started breathing again, the cold air making his breath visible now. "Well at least you're not dead." The blonde breathed in relief, his body unforgiving as the cold was quickly breaking through his clothes and making his trembling worsen.

He watched the crimson liquid draining into the snow, the once pure white of the ground now clouded and corrupted by a haunting deep red. The blonde sighed and opened his medical supply kit, searching for bandages and disinfectant.

"I didn't become a medic to stand by and let people die..."

He grimaced as he saw the massive gash along the person's leg, the severity of it was obvious, the flesh was torn deep making it difficult to stop the bleeding. His attention was drawn to the man's right back, the thick material of the jacket was split into small holes. Bullet wounds. The strong sickening scent engulfed the blonde as he quickly kept working, carefully removing the thick, metallic bullets while attempting to ignore and endure. He'd done this so many times before but it had been a while, he'd dropped his medic career to try pursuing his other ambitions. His skills were still as sharp as ever though, he'd taken to keeping them refined through ambulance work on the weekends he was free. His week was pretty full with two jobs but at least he kept busy.

He exhaled deeply, the vapour traveling off in visible white clouds as his mind returned to the biting cold closing in from every direction. He'd successfully bandaged and stitched the wounds and now sat there watching the person blankly, unsure of what to do next. He knew he'd need to move to a warmer location but there was nothing for ages, the surroundings were bleak and discoloured from the snow, if he tried to head in any random direction now he'd just get lost and make the situation worse.

He was still sitting close to the man, his dark brown hair wavering slightly in the freezing gusts of wind. Kisuke flinched as the man's hand locked around his wrist, chilling dark brown eyes met his as they suddenly snapped open. Kisuke inhaled sharply, sending a shooting pain throughout his lungs from the freezing air forced into them. The brunette remained there silently, his vice-like grip unwavering as the blonde felt his hand losing circulation. He quickly pried the man's fingers from around his wrist, breaking free and shuffling back to gain some distance, unsure if the dark figure was dangerous or not.

He waited in silence, the harsh razor wind lashing across his exposed skin as he watched the figure sit up and turn towards him, his eyes darkened like a criminals yet they lacked the wildness, instead he seemed composed... as if he were a perfectly normal person. The blonde finally managed to speak up as his words began to flow again, no longer imprisoned by the initial fear.

"Just who are you?"


	4. Chapter 4 - Painful Reminders

**AN: Slight language warning in this chapter, but of course, because Nnoitra's in it...Anyway, enjoy!**

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**Chapter 4 - Painful Reminders**

**Character Storyline: Ichigo Kurosaki ****(I-G)**

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_Ugh...my head._

Ichigo sat up suddenly, coughing desperately to clear his lungs and throat before grasping his pounding head. Pain reverberated and burned in every tear left across his flesh. Every inch of his body ached, he'd been beaten and tossed around like a rag doll during the crash, every moment coming back to haunt him as he tightened his grasp, locking his fingers in his light orange hair that was still held down by some of the dense liquid.

"You feeling ok? Ya' took a few pretty nasty hits back there." The blue haired man turned to him as the pain finally began subsiding, only warning of the imminent revenge it would return with when the numbing sensation faded. Ichigo didn't respond, he was still unable to piece words together after what he'd just experienced, he thought he was going to die, that those moments were the end. "I'm ok." He finally replied in a rough, dry voice before coughing again, his ribs reminding him of the thrashing they'd received. _Damn it...they're broken._ He thought as he grimaced while grasping his side. Pain rippled through his senses making him bite his lip to suppress the cries threatening to escape.

"You sure don't look ok." Grimmjow replied bluntly while sorting through his pockets, his frustration evident on his face. Ichigo felt the chilling surroundings hit him, it had been snowing. The warmth near his left side drew his attention to a large well-built fire pit, he watched the flames flickering and dancing slowly, the distinct crackling sound hitting his ears as his eyes drifted up, watching the glowing embers pass into the cold embrace of the air before disappearing. His attention was drawn back at the sound of cursing, Grimmjow was sorting through some bags both were clearly soaked. Ichigo noticed them immediately, after all they did nearly crush him into the back of the helicopter. _He must have dived into that freezing water to get them from the wreckage...and rescue me. _He thought as his mind replayed the scene_...that figure was him_. "Thank you." He rasped dryly as he painfully pulled his knees in to his chest and turned towards the fire, his clothes were nearly dry already despite the cold temperature.

Grimmjow looked up towards him, pausing for a moment before smirking and returning to his search without a word. After a few moments of silently watching the bleak surroundings Ichigo's attention was quickly drawn back to the grumpy man, whose mood had improved upon finding what he was searching for. He watched as the blue-haired man dragged out a smaller bag filled with the rations they'd stored. He pulled out some cans and threw one to Ichigo which he clumsily caught. "Enjoy" The officer smirked "This is all you'll be gettin', I'd try to radio for help," He paused as he pulled up his radio gear dripping with water "If it weren't, ya know, useless." He said turning his back on the orange haired teen. Ichigo had only just realised how hungry he really was, sighing he clicked open the can and started eating.

Grimmjow pulled out a small tightly sealed box before he opened it carefully, retrieving a small object from within. He aimed it towards the sky with one hand lazily placed over his right ear before a bright orange-red flash viciously engulfed the camp, temporarily blinding them both. The small rocket cut easily through the pitch black sky, leaving a light glistening trail before another flash lit up the dull midnight blue and replaced it with a dim orange. A flare. Ichigo watched the display intently as the last flickers of the flare disappeared consumed once again by the dark sky.

"If they don't see that, then tomorrow we'll have'ta move out on foot." The officer grunted as he finished the sentence before mumbling something to himself and laying back, seemingly looking into the pitch black sky, not a single star to light it. "Well we should take tonight in shifts, I'll take the first one." He didn't even make a second of eye contact before he rolled over with his back to the teen.

Thoughts wouldn't leave his mind, his captain had taken him in and now...now he could be dead.

- 2 years ago-

"You horrible delinquent!"  
"Thief!"  
"Someone stop him, call the police!"

The calls echoed behind him as he fled from the scene, a sly grin plastered across his face as he sprinted through a back alleyway to their den. He was a stray. Nothing more, nothing less. He did what he needed to do, to survive, that's all he could do. Survive.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, was the name he'd been blessed to gain from his days in the infamous gang, The Espada. It was a murderous band of thieves, violent and skilled ex criminals and just about any other scum that came in off of the streets with a mean attitude and a will to fight. Each was given a number that the rest of the gang deemed as their position upon joining and each member defended their position viciously, the better your number the more "perks" you got, and the more respect you gained- most of the time. There he'd found a home, not quite the best one but they supported him no less, he was granted the sixth position as recognition of his skill, he was the sexta espada.

"Hey Grimmjow, you comin'?!" A tall, thin man with dark hair and an ominous wide grin greeted him with his usual narrowed, cold eyes. "Where to?" He grunted in response, tilting his head back over the arm of the torn couch. "We're going to steal some more supplies, we're running low and business isn't doing well with that new captain around."

Business...Grimmjow had glazed over the fact that half of the group ran an illegal business, he wanted no part in it. _No reason to dig an even deeper grave for yourself is there?_ He knew he was at a low point in life, but he dared not to dive lower and associate with that side of the gang. "New Captain?" He questioned as it clicked in his head, he hadn't heard of the Karakura town police getting a new captain. Nnoitra spat at the mere thought of him "Yeah that damn cocky bastard took out three of our members last week, Kenpachi Zaraki's his name." The vehement hatred flowed in his voice as he kicked a wall. "If I catch him, I'll show him what it means to cross the Espada!" He yelled before disappearing down the broken hall towards the rundown garage. "C'mon Grimmjow!" He called impatiently, followed by more crashes as he continued a path of destruction.

"Kenpachi...Zaraki?" The blue haired espada spoke the name under his breath, a curious flicker danced behind his eyes, something told him he was in for a fight.

_Just who is he?_

Grimmjow pulled himself off of the couch and hastily followed the path of broken walls and glass to catch up with Nnoitra. He drew closer to the dim light of the garage at the end of the hall before a pale hand grabbed him, his deep blue eyes lit up momentarily with shock before they faded to a narrowed glare as they met emerald-green. "Ulquiorra." His voice seethed as he hit the cuatro espada's hand away from his collar. "Do not go with him, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra warned, his dull expression unchanging much like his deadpan voice. "Why the hell not?!" The sexta espada hissed in reply.

"You won't come back if you encounter that man." His emerald eyes watched the blue haired man carefully as he conveyed no emotion in the grim warning.  
"Who Zaraki? You think I'm afraid of some new big shot!? I'll show you, I'll beat that guy into the ground!"  
"You are a fool to go, he killed our previous 6th espada and has imprisoned our 9th and 10th. You will not return if you leave, and if you do by chance escape him, you will not be welcomed back here, for that man will find you. I don't want him to destroy everything and everyone here in search of you, Grimmjow. We will not pay for your actions."

"Fine. But I'm still going, and stop trying to order me around like you're the boss. Since when do I take orders from you, Ulquiorra?" He growled as he drifted past the green-eyed espada, only receiving a cold gaze as he left. _If that man is as dangerous as they say he is...then I better be prepared._ He thought as he opened a cabinet in the garage, taking out a small handgun that glinted slightly in the sombre light. Tucking the weapon away he quickly ran to catch up with Nnoitra, who by now would be furious for having to wait so long. Ulquiorra stood in the doorway watching the blue haired man disappear around the corner before silently walking back up the hall. "They're doing something stupid again, huh?" questioned a low, drowsy voice from the couch.  
"They always are." Ulquiorra replied in an iced tone as he stepped into the room.

"They're going to get us all killed or caught one day." A large older man growled from the kitchen as he took another sip of his coffee.  
"Baraggan, you know we can't stop them. Idiots will always be idiots, it's just a shame we've got more than one now." Harribel replied while slumping in her chair. "It doesn't help that our 8th decided to disappear too, this place is falling apart."

"His disappearance is none of our concern, he left and that is his choice. Just as it is Grimmjow's and Nnoitra's choices to be so reckless. We must do what we can for ourselves and cut loose from these annoyances and setbacks." Ulquiorra sat down in the far chair facing Harribel, for once they were all agreeing on something.

"Finally." Nnoitra hissed as Grimmjow caught up before slowing into the same pace as the taller man. "There's the place." The quinto pointed out a loading dock to a shop as a few trucks rolled in to deliver some supplies. Grimmjow glanced over his shoulder, a wave of unease washing over him. "What? Don't back out on me now. Tsk, I don't need you anyway!" He growled before going straight for the bay, shouting and beginning to hold people at gun point. Chills barraged the blue-haired espada as he ran. "Why the hell did you rush in here?! I thought we weren't going to do this!" Grimmjow yelled over the security sirens that blazed throughout the building. "I'm calling that fucker out! No one messes with me or my gang!" The dark haired man yelled back, laughing as he shot one of the hostages, their limp body hitting the concrete with an unmistakable thud. "What the hell are you doing!?" Grimmjow panicked, attempting to quickly disarm the psychotic maniac. "I thought you said we weren't going to kill anyone, you bastard!"

Nnoitra swiftly recoiled with an elbow that connected with Grimmjow's ribs causing him to lose his grip on the weapon and stumble back, tripping on some of the boxes and painfully smashing the back of his head against the wall. He coughed and gripped his side in pain as flashing lights drew in from outside. The quinto burst into insane laughter, he was ready for what came next. "There he is." Nnoitra hissed as a tall muscular man stepped into the dark room, cold air picked up as the sun cast a menacing shadow of the dark figure. Grimmjow stayed silent, suffocating tension sparked like electricity in the air as the two men faced off before him. _That's him...Kenpachi Zaraki._ The blue-haired espada thought as he observed the figure, he heard the slight ringing of bells before he spotted them swaying in the ends of the man's dark, spiked hair. It was the last thing he saw before the dark waves of unconsciousness consumed him.

The sound of a gunshot rang throughout the docking area. Kenpachi fell to one knee with scarlet rapidly drenching his leg. "Ha! Not so tough now, are you? You bastard!" A sadistic grin drew across the quinto's face before he continued laughing as a sign of impending victory. "Is that all you've got, espada? You're a really bad shot." Kenpachi laughed while pulling himself back to his feet, blood now coating the left side of his leg. "What?! Are you mocking me?!" Nnoitra growled at the haunting figure across from him before shooting again. Kenpachi's body endured the impact as blood began soaking through his shirt. "Huh? Better shot this time." The officer watched his shirt slowly turn from white to red. "Now it's my turn." He finished as his eyes darkened before he charged at the tall, thin man making him flinch in shock. "What the fu-" Was all the quinto could manage before he was viciously slammed into the wall, the sheer collision forcing once settled dust to spread violently around the battlefield. Nnoitra coughed and glared at the man now grasping him by the throat and pinning him against the cold, cracked concrete wall.

"Tsk. You really think you've beaten me?" He rasped at the dark figure looming over him before lunging a hidden switch blade at the captain making him lose his grip on the espada to avoid it. Kenpachi tried to steady himself before the quinto rushed at him and threw an incredibly hard punch landing it right against the officer's face, sending him stumbling backwards. Nnoitra was just about to taunt the captain before a hand smashed into his face and drove him into the ground "Damn it..." The beaten man hissed through gritted teeth as blood trailed lines down his forehead before he began falling into unconsciousness.

Grimmjow's eyes cracked open briefly, his stormy blue eyes only met by those of dark black with bitter ferocity stirring in their depths, the sexta quickly caught focus of the sharp glint of a gun in the man's calloused hands. _This is it huh?_ He thought briefly as he closed his eyes again, the stabbing pain rippled across his ribs, he could feel a warm liquid running slowly down his forehead. Daring to take a final look he squinted to focus again, the man's eyes had lost their hostility and now before him, a hand outreached. "Come on, we need to talk. You're being taken into custody for questioning."

-  
His eyes were now glassy, the memory had faded and returned him to the present. "Ya know how to handle a weapon, kid?" Ichigo jumped at the sudden question, shaking him from nearly falling asleep. "Why the hell would I know that?" He snarled back while rubbing his eyes, he'd never want to hold a gun to someone, they were an essence of death. "I suppose I better teach ya then, because it's something you're going to need to know eventually, especially now." Grimmjow said bluntly while grasping the police emblem on his sleeve tightly.

_Where are you...Zaraki?_


	5. Chapter 5 - A Touch of Poison

**AN: This is a FLASHBACK CHAPTER , Sorry, just a notification so it's not confusing as to how this is happening and why there's a sudden change in story path**

**On another note, thank you so much to those who have followed and favourited this story so far, on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - A Touch of Poison**

**Character Storyline - Aizen Sōsuke (K-A)**

* * *

_Day by day they come to pass, each face though smeared with emotion, remains empty to the cold, sharp eyes that observe._

The monitor seemed to stare back, filled with the moving portraits of the unaware. None of them knew, and that was their place that was predetermined from the second they set foot into the factory. No one was meant to know, each set of eyes covered by a thick veil of serenity and normality, though he was immune to their measures of control.

It had been a wary three years since he'd been moved to the main branch of the largest company in Karakura town, they were like puppet masters and the whole city was filled with their careless puppets, slaves to the strings that tugged them along. A slight sigh escaped as he re-adjusted his thick rimmed glasses and ran a free hand through his dark brown hair before standing and glancing up at the clock. 10:00pm. It was time to finish up the preparations.

They had been swayed so easily when he applied, a warm smile and a carefully sharpened act had placed him where he was now. Aizen Sōsuke, head of the digital security and electronics unit. He glanced around the hallway, empty, each room and desk devoid of the life that the day had given them. He had an excuse to be here so late, maintenance work. He'd been asked to stay behind to fix the air conditioner in the conference room for the important meeting the next day.

The cold, steel door to the main conference room had been carelessly left unlocked, he silently stepped in and walked slowly towards the broken device. He glanced briefly at the security cameras fitted around the room, smiling as he noticed that they were all deactivated. He set up his supplies and began taking apart the air conditioner, unscrewing the broken filter and retrieving the replacement from his supplies.

He had finally finished replacing the components of the device and re-fitted the cover, within that moment he felt the immense discomfort of eyes upon him, someone was watching. He quickly glanced up towards the door as he packed away the last of his equipment before walking over and peering into the darkness of the hallway. Nothing. But someone had definitely been watching him, the door had a smaller gap than the one he'd meticulously left when entering.

Carefully he made his way back to the office and locked the door behind him, now cautious of prying eyes that lurked within the shadows of the abandoned, dark halls. He reached behind his desk, retrieving a second supply bag and checking its contents. Nearly everything was set for the meeting tomorrow, now he just had to wait.

The next morning he arrived early, preparing the security monitors and setting a timer for exactly 8:00pm when the meeting began, the director had requested his presence so he needed to get all of his tasks for the day completed by that time. With tired, jaded eyes he set to another day of monitoring the mundane activities of the factories employees.

The clock ticked the seconds by, it's motions painfully slow before the minute and hour hands finally hit the designated time. 7:50pm. He grabbed his spare supply bag from under his desk and quickly prepared to go to the meeting, carefully locking the office door behind him before he left as an added safety measure. When he arrived he adorned himself with a fake smile as the curtain cue to his intricate play, the same one that he acted out each day for the less perceptive, and greeted each of the important spectators. When finally meeting up with the director and shaking hands firmly he took his allocated place at the far end of the table and retrieved his laptop, beginning to record the important aspects of the meeting like he was requested to do.

He continued with his work, fatigued eyes flicking to the glassy surface of his watch and glancing at the time. As the timer was four minutes from initiating he grasped with the supply bag tightly and asked the director if he could excuse himself, receiving a small sign of acknowledgement in return. Swiftly moving away from the table he headed towards the door controls, sweeping his fingers over them delicately and carefully setting the door to perma-lock as he passed by.

A frigid ambiance fell throughout the room as chills crept across his skin. The unbearable feeling of being watched again, it loomed over him as if he could feel the prying eyes slowly burning holes through his skin. His sharp eyes momentarily flicked towards the hall as a figure concealed by thick shadows disappeared around the corner, he rapidly glanced back, unable to focus in time. There was no one there, not anymore. He continued on and quickly stepped into the bathroom, checking his watch again. One minute remained before the timer was set to detonate, it was time. He unzipped the spare supply bag and pulled out a large jet black mask. A chemical gas mask.

The director placed a small silver containment chest on the table. "We will mass produce this, just like all the other branches, and with that our company will have the most deadly bio-weapon to date. We'll hold _all_ of the power from now on." A slight beep interrupted as the crisp chill of the air-conditioning dispersed through the sealed room. He carefully lifted one of the vials from the case to display for the eyes of greed that surrounded him. He began coughing, subtle at first before suddenly becoming violent. One hand was clutching desperately at his throat, his other pressed flat to the cold glass table before he froze in place lifelessly, his eyes frigid and glassy like a frozen-over lake, the terror reflecting beneath its unbreakable surface. The unmistakeable sound of a body hitting the floor was the final sound before chaos erupted in the room, people frantically ran for the door only to find it was sealed. Their cries for help slowly fading to nothing but dull whispers and rasping begs for air.

In seconds the room was deadly silent, the slight hum of the air conditioner was the only noise that dared to break the empty silence. Aizen stepped over the lifeless corpses of the sickening people before him, their only plans to sacrifice the innocent for their own greed and wealth, for nothing more than the pursuit of twisted pleasure, while leaving nothing but destruction and corpses in their wake. That was no true plan. He swiftly sealed the silver containment chest and packed it into his supply bag before moving towards the air vent and reaching into the supply bag, retrieving a screwdriver and unscrewing the bolts.

The small click of a torchlight echoed between the looming metal walls, the soft light chasing away the approaching darkness as he checked over the map of the air circulation system and quietly moved forward, careful not to alert anyone to his presence. The sweet, cool night air acted as a guide for the last part of the ominous maze as he took off his mask and packed it away. He could see the exit now, he cautiously moved closer before a sharp pain tore through the side of his leg. He held back a cry of pain and exhaled it bitterly as he glared at the glinting sharpened steel protruding from the side of the vent.

Fighting to ignore it he felt around in the darkness for the torch he had dropped in shock, finding it he quickly retrieved the screwdriver and unscrewed the bolts to the second panel before painfully dropping down out of the vent, breathing heavily from the suppressed pain that clouded his mind. He didn't have time to refit the vent cover, instead he began limping away, the rust red drops weaving a grim trail through the pale white snow. He had to escape before they figured it out.

He began feeling faint as he heard a gunshot resound behind him, another pain stabbing into him like a set of finely sharpened knives, this time his right back exploded with burning agony in response. Someone knew, there was no way that they could have caught on this fast. That figure...they had set the trap, they were the one who had shot him. _Who is it?_ His mind seethed as he tried to ignore the pain that rippled throughout his body.

His vision became a blur as his pace began slowing, his shoes hitting the cold crunch of fresh snow, the falling white specks landing in his eyes and only dimming his sight further. His head pounded as he began staggering, too much blood loss...

His mind slurred as his vision finally faded out. His whole world lost in a mess of colour and dizziness that made him feel sick. He felt the weightless, lightheaded feeling of falling before the tough resounding of the thud as he hit the ground hard.


	6. Chapter 6 - Synapse

**Chapter 6 - Synapse**

**Character Storyline - Kisuke Urahara (K-A)**

* * *

_I feel so cold...where am I?_

"Oh, so you're finally awake?"

Aizen sat up slowly, the pain that once plagued his leg replaced with a subtle numb sensation from the cold. He remembered the voice he'd heard and looked up, the sudden movement making his head ache again as he quickly placed a hand against his forehead. His expression conveying frustration and pain through lightly gritted teeth and deepened breaths. Across from him sat a man with grey eyes and pale blond hair, he seemed to smile back as their eyes met. "I see...not in a talkative mood are you?" The man questioned airily as he added more sticks to the flame before him, its vicious edges slowly rising with a crackling roar.

A bright light made Aizen cringe as he realised it was morning, how long had he been unconscious? The surroundings were lost and distorted in waves of disorientation and lethargy as his head pounded relentlessly, making a haunting sickness rise within that left his mouth bitter and dry. He remained silent as the fog began clearing from his mind. His eyes lowered, glancing over his aching leg to see thin stitches weaving along it, firmly holding the wound closed. _Did he do this?_ "Who are you?" He inquired as he watched the sun slowly rising over the mountain, its light creeping across the snow tipped trees and bathing the area in a warm orange glow.

"Me? Well I did ask you first but...My name's Urahara Kisuke, and you are?"

"Aizen Sosuke..." He replied absently as his eyes made contact with the blond's again, attempting to read his intentions. His mind suddenly flicked into a state of unease as he glanced around. "Is something wrong?" Kisuke questioned as he watched the brunet search around the area. "Did you find a supply bag with me? I had one when I passed out, it's rather important."

"Oh, yes, it's over there." The blond replied as he pointed towards the dark bag that was sitting in a patch devoid of snow. "I guess this is where we split up, right?" The blonde inquired while standing up and yawning as he stretched. "That is...unless you need some help, you seem pretty hurt."

"You know I never asked you to help me the first time..."

"Really? So you'd rather I left you to bleed to death in the freezing snow?" The blonde replied mockingly as he gathered his supplies and put out the fire before holding out a hand to the brunet. Aizen glanced away, not wanting to accept the help. "Even though the town is filled with mutants and the whole place is really dangerous...we'll have to go there sometime, so why not now?"

"Do you have a weapon? It doesn't seem like a good plan to go unarmed." Aizen questioned as he brushed light snow from his jacket and pulled himself to his feet, the burning agony returning to the wound as he struggled to maintain his balance.

"Well, I do have a handgun but that's about it..."  
"Have you ever used one before?"  
"Uh, well...no, not really...But I'm not about to trust a stranger with it either. Especially not one I found drenched in blood."  
"You have a reasonable argument with that point." Aizen smirked as he pulled his supply bag over his shoulder.

"I don't know what you've done up until now...Honestly, I don't trust you, but I could use the help right now, and I'm sure you could too."

Aizen paused and thought about the options, the gap in their trust was already abysmal but neither had much choice, they both had to follow the same path for now and going alone was suicide. He gave a slight nod before pulling his jacket in close and following the blonde, the sky littered with thick smoke, the dark clouds almost suffocating it. That set their destination, the city.

The chaos had subsided since the first day of the outbreak, now the whole scene was desolate, not a single sign of life anywhere. "We have to be careful, those...mutations respond to noise, heat and especially the scent of blood." The blonde whispered as they hid behind a broken-down car, Aizen glanced down at his injury, hoping now of all times that the stitching didn't come loose as it was only just sealed enough not to bleed.

They noticed that none of the doors were locked, mostly because people would have been panicking. They quietly came up to the first house, a car had lost control and impacted the front wall, bricks and fractured debris were scattered around it. At a closer observation the driver wasn't in the seat but the front windscreen had a large hole smashed through it, the edges of the shattered glass laced with dried blood.

The first priority was to find food, clean water and medical supplies. Surveying the abandoned rooms they found a scarlet and coal coloured sling bag and a larger backpack, using them to pack the supplies they found while remaining as quiet as possible. A loud crack of splintering wood tore through the silence as the door shattered inward and sent them both to the floor in attempt to find cover. The distant pattern of gunfire echoed in from the top end of the street, suppression squads were leading the infected away.

"I know you're here somewhere you blond bastard!" Nnoitra yelled through the house as he kicked over chairs and tables, throwing objects around the place for his own amusement while searching for Kisuke. They quickly fled to the kitchen, hiding behind the bench as they heard the tall man cursing and thrashing the contents of the living room against the walls. The sounds of glass shattering and wooden tables and chairs breaking into pieces viciously drowned out all other noise in the house. He slowly stalked towards the kitchen "Where are you?" He called in a low, threatening tone that echoed throughout the quiet room. "I hate playing hide and seek, come out now and I'll make your death quick!"

"What did you do to end up in this position?" Aizen murmured to the blonde who was hiding in the corner nervously, flinching as the brunet tapped him on the shoulder. "Well? Why didn't you mention this earlier?" He continued, unsatisfied with the lack of an answer. "What makes you think that I _knew_ I had this murderous psychopath after me?" Kisuke answered quietly, attempting to cover up even the slightest waver in his voice.

"You still haven't answered my first question..."  
"Can't we talk about this after we get out of here alive?"

They were interrupted by more cursing and destruction, hearing glass smash against the cold, dark tiles. "Let's get moving then." Aizen whispered while pointing towards the other room, he'd found earlier that the house had an escape route. They watched the furious man stop suddenly before his glare flashed at the blond, Kisuke's heart skipped a beat as he quickly pulled back behind the bench. Chills rolled slowly across his arms and body, forcing shivers down his spine as he breathed in deeply. He turned expecting to see the brunet but he'd disappeared only instilling more fear. Now he was alone.

He pressed further back against the wall under the bench, his breath hitching as he heard slow footsteps inch closer. He watched long, thin legs pause in place before him, the slightest hint of raven black hair hanging down in front of the bench as Nnoitra leant down to check. Kisuke quickly covered his mouth trying to conceal the slight sound of his breathing as he lied back in the darkness. No sound or movement, only complete silence.

The anxiety reflected behind his eyes as the man drew lower, his line of sight near reaching the blond before he jolted back up as the harsh sound of shattering glass tore through the house. "Fuck, the front window! That bastard!" He yelled as he charged towards the source. Kisuke exhaled deeply as the sickening feeling faded through shaking breaths. He was gasping in air desperately, to ease the deprivation that burned in his chest. That was far too close, his heartbeat still thundered in his ears. "Wait, that was a-..." He glanced carefully around the corner, his eyes meeting with the brunet across in the next room, his hand wrapped in thick, worn fabric that was now lightly dampened by rusty liquid. "Distraction." He finished, still in shock as he stared blankly at Aizen. "Are you going to move?" The brunet glared at him, his voice laced with venomous impatience as he grasped his hand in pain.

The blond ran over to him before being shown the exit by a trembling hand. "Are you sure you're alright? what did you-" He was cut off by the sound of furious yelling outside. "Now isn't the time, we need to go." The brunet motioned again towards the back door while the blond kept a concerned glance. "Ok." He agreed finally, picking up the supplies as they ran for the door, quickly breaking the rusted metallic lock and attracting the unwanted attention of Nnoitra.

The tall man un-holstered his weapon, beginning to fire rounds at them as they deftly ducked behind a fence and avoided his wrath, running behind the next building before breaking in and closing the door. "Urahara, I need you to distract him. I have a plan."

"How can I?..." He questioned before his mind flashed to the weapon in the supplies. "I don't care how you do it. Just hurry." The brunet replied before disappearing into the darkness of the house, heading for the garage. Kisuke hid by the back window watching Nnoitra draw closer, he kicked in the door of the shed outside with a sickening crunch before he fired into the darkness, not caring what was inside. After a while of checking the yard he began traveling towards the house.

Aizen quickly slid open the garage door revealing a mass of yard tools; shovels, a broken lawnmower, rakes and a variety of other rusty, twisted weapons. He tried to peer through the darkness, finding exactly what he was looking for. He shuddered as his hands brushed past dust and spider webs, retrieving the one thing he wanted. A petrol can, full of gasoline.

He hoisted it in his arms, ignoring the shooting pain in his left hand before running back, quickly dousing most of the room in the clear liquid, scaring the blond as he brushed past. Kisuke shot a worried glance back as he smelt the strong fumes of the flammable liquid. "What are you doing?" He inquired as he turned back to the threat that was looming closer with each second that passed. Aizen carefully eased the front door open, pouring the last of the gasoline over the dark wood and dropping the can before pulling out the box of matches. "You!" Nnoitra yelled in rage as he spotted Kisuke and ran for the door, just as the blond fired a single warning shot that just barely missed, making the psychotic man dive for the ground. "Shit!" He rasped as he clambered back to his feet making another rampant charge for the door.

Aizen pulled Kisuke back and towards the front door "Now would be a good time to leave." He said calmly despite pointing out the dangerous orange glow in the corner of the room, flames were beginning to lap at the destroyed furniture. The back door flew open, but it was too late. The brunet just smiled darkly as he threw a match at the now blockaded front door, a makeshift bar of twisted metal blocking it as the pungent liquid dripped down the dark wooden frame. The second the match hit it the door burst into flames sending Nnoitra back with a cry as they caught onto his arms and circled behind him, following the liquid trap weaved by the brunet. "Fuck!" He cried, both his exits were blocked by all-consuming flames while smoke engulfed the room, making his lungs burn painfully.

Kisuke watched in horror as Aizen dragged him away, his eyes blank and unreadable as he watched the smoke billow out from the upstairs level before a chilling scream of rage rang through the street, the noise an ear-splitting cry of fury drenched in pain. "You're a psychopath...you know this, right?" He said in a defeated tone, receiving no reply. He slowed to a stop once they were far from the street and back in the forest.

"Go on ahead, I'm going to find some more water for the night." Aizen said as he re-adjusted the supply bag over his shoulder, his hand still covered in blood.  
"Then I'll go with you-"  
"No, it's too dangerous for both of us to go, you take the supplies up there." He said as he gestured towards the cavernous area near the base of the mountain.

"Fine, but just make sure nothing follows you back..." The blond replied half-heartedly as he took the extra supplies from the brunet and began slowly traveling towards the destination.

Arriving at the base of the mountainous region he placed the heavy supplies down and rubbed his aching shoulder, turning to see the sun setting in the distance and bringing the imminent chill of night with it. He noticed a soft, iridescent glow from one of the supply bags. _What is that?_ He tentatively reached for it and revealed a small silver chest with a sombre purple glow, reminiscent of the horrors that he'd seen at the base, each moment returning to his mind with devastating clarity.

He opened it, finding exactly what he'd feared, three vials of the virus, the same one that began this whole mess.

"I knew I couldn't trust you." The dark voice hissed from behind him as he swiftly turned to see the brunet. A loaded weapon facing the exact centre of his forehead, making him freeze in place, his fingers quickly growing numb as if embedded in deep snow. Kisuke quickly felt his pockets in a wave of panic, searching for the gun he had earlier...it was gone.

"No! Wait!" The blond pleaded. A dangerous flicker arose in the reticent brown depths before him, a smirk passing the brunet's lips as he took the safety off. A sickening crack tore through the cavernous forest before unsettling silence fell once again.

* * *

**AN: As usual, thank you so much those who have followed and favourited so far and if there's any mistakes please don't be afraid to say something so I can fix it ASAP. See you next chapter!**


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